Integrated video and graphics blender

Abstract

A system and method provides for blending video data with graphics data and outputting video frames comprising blended video and graphics. There is a host computer capable of communicating with one or more integrated computer graphics cards, and at least one integrated computer graphics card. The integrated computer graphics card comprises a local bus; an MPEG decoder communicating with the local bus; a first video frame buffer communicating with the MPEG decoder; and a graphics processor communicating with the MPEG decoder by means of a dedicated digital video bus. The graphics processor further communicates with the local bus and a second frame buffer communicates with the graphics processor, for blending video data and graphics data in the second frame buffer according to alpha data from the host computer system. An analog TV decoder communicates with the graphics processor by means of the dedicated digital video bus, and a video output port connects to the graphics processor, for outputting video frames comprising blended video and graphics.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An integrated computer graphics card comprising 
 a. a local bus;    b. an MPEG decoder communicating with the local bus;    c. a first video frame buffer communicating with the MPEG decoder;    d. a graphics processor communicating with the MPEG decoder; the graphics processor further communicating with the local bus;    e. a second frame buffer communicating with the graphics processor, for blending video data and graphics data in the second frame buffer according to alpha data from the host computer system;    f. a video output port connected to the graphics processor, for outputting video frames comprising blended video and graphics; and,    g. a bridge between the local bus and a host computer bus for accepting commands to the integrated computer graphics card from the host computer.    
     
     
         2 . The integrated computer graphics card of  claim 1 , where the video output port further comprises: 
 a. a video encoder connected to the graphics processor, for encoding digital video data to analog television formats; and,    b. a video switch connected to the video encoder and the graphics processor for switching the output of the integrated graphics card between NTSC/PAL TV outputs and VGA/HDTV outputs.    
     
     
         3 . The integrated computer graphics card of  claim 1 , further comprising an analog-to-digital decoder, the analog-to-digital decoder output connected to the graphics processor by means of a first dedicated digital video bus.  
     
     
         4 . The integrated graphics card of  claim 3 , further comprising a genlock control; the genlock control operatively connected between the analog-to-digital decoder, the MPEG decoder, and the video encoder, for synchronizing the timing of analog television signals input to the analog-to-digital decoder with the output of the video encoder.  
     
     
         5 . The integrated computer graphics card of  claim 1 , where the MPEG decoder is further capable of scaling output digital video frames responsive to commands from the host computer.  
     
     
         6 . The integrated computer graphics card of  claim 1 , where the local bus is a PCI bus.  
     
     
         7 . A system for blending video data with graphics data and outputting video frames comprising blended video and graphics, the system comprising: 
 a. a host computer; the host computer capable of communicating with one or more integrated computer graphics cards;    b. at least one integrated computer graphics card; the integrated computer graphics card comprising: 
 (1) a local bus;  
 (2) an MPEG decoder communicating with the local bus;  
 (3) a first video frame buffer communicating with the MPEG decoder;  
 (4) a graphics processor communicating with the MPEG decoder by means of a first dedicated digital video bus; the graphics processor further communicating with the local bus;  
 (5) a second frame buffer communicating with the graphics processor, for blending video data and graphics data in the second frame buffer according to alpha data from the host computer system;  
 (6) a video output port connected to the graphics processor by a second dedicated digital video bus, for outputting video frames comprising blended video and graphics; and,  
 (7) a bridge between the local bus and a host computer bus for accepting commands to the integrated computer graphics card from the host computer.  
   
     
     
         8 . The system for blending video data with graphics data and outputting video frames comprising blended video and graphics of  claim 7 , where the video output port further comprises: 
 a. a video encoder connected to the graphics processor, for encoding digital video data to analog television formats; and,    b. a video switch connected to the video encoder and the graphics processor for switching the output of the integrated graphics card between NTSC/PAL, and VGA or HDTV formats.    
     
     
         9 . The system for blending video data with graphics data and outputting video frames comprising blended video and graphics of  claim 7 , where the integrated computer graphics card further comprises an analog-to-digital decoder, the analog-to-digital decoder output connected to the graphics processor by means of a first dedicated digital video bus.  
     
     
         10 . The system for blending video data with graphics data and outputting video frames comprising blended video and graphics of  claim 9 , where the integrated computer graphics card further comprises a genlock control; the genlock control operatively connected between the analog-to-digital decoder, the MPEG decoder, and the video encoder, for synchronizing the timing of analog television signals input to the analog-to-digital decoder with the output of video encoder.  
     
     
         11 . The system for blending video and graphics of  claim 7 , further comprising an application programming interface, for providing a plurality of procedures that allow an application program executed by the host computer to communicate with the MPEG decoder.  
     
     
         12 . In an integrated computer graphics card connected to a host computer; the card having an MPEG decoder, a graphics processor and a graphics frame buffer, a method for blending video and graphics data on the same display, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) transferring MPEG data and commands to an MPEG decoder from a host computer;    (b) transferring graphics data and commands to a graphics processor from the host processor;    (c) transferring alpha data from the host processor to the graphics processor;    (d) decoding and scaling MPEG data in the MPEG processor;    (e) transferring decoded and processed MPEG data from the MPEG decoder to the graphics processor;    (f) blending the video and graphics data in the graphics frame buffer according to the alpha data; and,    (g) outputting the blended video data.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , where the integrated computer graphics card further includes a video encoder connected to the graphics processor, for encoding digital video data to analog television formats, and a video switch connected to the video encoder and the graphics processor for switching the output of the integrated graphics card between analog and digital video outputs, further including the steps of: 
 a. encoding digital video data to analog television formats; and,    b. selectively switching the output of the integrated computer graphics card between NTSC/PAL TV, or VGA and HDTV formats.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , where the integrated computer graphics card further includes an analog-to-digital encoder, and further including the steps of: 
 a. encoding analog television signals input to the integrated graphics card to digital video data;    b. detecting the timing of the input analog television signals;    c. detecting the timing of the MPEG decoder and the video decoder; and,    d. synchronizing the timing of the analog-to-digital encoder, the MPEG decoder, graphics processor, and the video encoder.    
     
     
         15 . An application programming interface (API) for providing a plurality of procedures that allow an application program executed by a host computer to communicate with an integrated computer graphics card, the API functions comprising: 
 a. a function to create a device interface between an application program running on the host computer and an integrated computer graphics card.    b. a function to create and initially position one or more non-blended browser windows and a single video window on a given display.    c. a function to control the visibility, position and translucency of a blended browser window;    d. a function to control the position and visibility of a non-blended browser controlled window;    e. a function to control the position and visibility of a display video window, and to create one or more blended browser-controlled overlay windows;    f. a function to control the visibility, position, scroll rate and translucency of a blended scrolling bitmap window; and,    g. a function to interface to control the visibility, position, scroll rate and translucency of a non-blended scrolling bitmap window.    
     
     
         16 . A computer-readable medium embodying an application programming interface (API) for providing a plurality of procedures that allow an application program executed by a host computer to communicate with an integrated computer graphics card, the API functions comprising: 
 a. a function to create a device interface between an application program running on the host computer and an integrated computer graphics card.    b. a function to create and initially position one or more non-blended browser windows and a single video window on a given display.    c. a function to control the visibility, position and translucency of a blended browser window;    d. a function to control the position and visibility of a non-blended browser controlled window;    e. a function to control the position and visibility of a display video window, and to create one or more blended browser-controlled overlay windows;    f. a function to control the visibility, position, scroll rate and translucency of a blended scrolling bitmap window; and,    g. a function to interface to control the visibility, position, scroll rate and translucency of a non-blended scrolling bitmap window.